Gate devices are known in various embodiments from the prior art. Gates are known, for example, which have a gate segment or gate wing adapted to be pivoted sideways, which, for guiding, is movably supported on hinges and/or in rails. Gates are also known that have a gate segment that is movable in a substantially vertical direction, in particular roller gates or sectional gates where the gate segment is most often supported in a guide rail. Such gate devices are in particular used in building closures or property closures. For opening and closing a gate segment, the gate devices may comprise a motor drive or a device for manual operation, for example, a chain pull or a rope pull.
Depending on the field of application and the use of such a gate device, accretions, dirt and other obstacles, for example, between the gate guide and the movable gate segment, may lead to an impairment of the mobility of the gate segment over time. Besides impairments caused by environmental influences, other reasons, such as damage or tampering, may also impair gate functionality. Examples include a rope pull that has come off the pulley or a guide wheel which has a flattened portion caused by temporary blocking.
The result of such impairments of the gate device is mostly that the actual function, i.e., opening and closing the gate segment, can still be performed, but that an increased physical effort for moving the gate segment is required. Such impairments, in particular with motor driven gates, often remain unnoticed or ignored and are only realized when the gate becomes totally blocked or during one of the next maintenance services for the gate. The impairments mentioned may, however, have a negative effect on the functionality, the safety, and the service life of the gate device already after a short time. Irreparable damage may thereby be done to the gate guide, the gate support and/or the gate drive. The impairments may, as already mentioned above, also lead to a complete blocking of the gate and thus to a total loss of functionality of the gate device, for example, when the gate segment has jammed or has become stuck due to an object in the gate guide. In the instances mentioned above, this may cause undesirable, long outage times or down times of the gate device. Opening and closing the gate or passing the gateway is then no longer possible. This may cause substantial economic damage to a user, for example, a shipping company.
Gate devices are therefore nowadays serviced at regular intervals, with the servicing interval being set to short enough to almost exclude a total loss of functionality due to an impairment by environmental influences or minor damage. Such servicing and manual monitoring of the gate functions, in particular of the functions relevant to safety, is, however, time-consuming and expensive.